Postdoc position in generative AI and educational research →

DTU — Technical University of Denmark; Aalborg; Hybrid; DKK 420,000 - 540,000; Part time

Job summary

Aalborg University invites applications for a 2.5-year postdoctoral position in the Department of Culture and Communication. The role focuses on generative AI in Danish upper secondary education, with data collection and cross-national analyses as core tasks.

The position may include teaching responsibilities within the department. We seek candidates with solid experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods, capable of coordinating with international partners and producing high-quality

Qualifications

• PhD required for appointment as postdoc.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative methods in humanities or social sciences.
• Ability to plan, transcribe, code interviews and focus groups.

Responsibilities

• Conduct local Danish data collection with upper secondary students and teachers.
• Perform collaborative and comparative analyses of the data.
• Gather and analyze quantitative survey data with consortium partners.
• Contribute to policy analysis of digital and AI literacies in Danish policy context.
• Engage in dissemination through reports and peer-reviewed publications.

Skills

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods

Academic writing

English communication

Danish language

Collaborative work

Education

PhD

Job description

Are you curious about how generative AI is reshaping teaching in today’s upper secondary schools? The Department of Culture and Communication at Aalborg University invites applications for a 2,5 year postdoctoral position starting on 1 December 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. We are offering a 30-hour-per-week part-time position, with the possibility of extending if teaching responsibilities are assigned.

The position is linked to the Nordic Baltic research project GAIYA: Generative AI in Education for Young Adults (2026–2030), funded by NordForsk. As postdoctoral researcher, you will investigate generative AI in Danish upper secondary education while being part of an active international research network.

Who are we?

GAIYA is a Nordic Baltic research project that studies how generative AI, especially chatbots, is changing upper secondary education. Focusing on digital literacy and gender equality, it examines how students and teachers use generative AI tools in majority language subjects in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, compares media and AI literacy policies across five countries including Estonia and Finland, and develops gender-inclusive teaching strategies and policy recommendations to support fair and responsible AI use among young adults.

GAIYA is a research action project that examines generative AI in education through a platform studies perspective, combining qualitative and quantitative methods in authentic teaching contexts. The project produces evidence based insights to inform future teaching practice and policy development.

The GAIYA project consortium consists of researchers from Aalborg University, Østfold University of Applied Sciences, Gothenburg University, and Tartu University.

Digitalisation is a prioritised research field at Aalborg University, which hosts several thriving hubs for artificial intelligence research, and within this landscape GAIYA serves as an important stronghold for maintaining a humanities perspective on new technological developments.

Read more about GAIYA through the GAIYA website and the GAIYA LinkedIn page.

What are your work tasks?

Your work tasks will be directly tied to the empirical research activities in the research project. You will conduct local Danish data collection and perform collaborative and comparative analyses of the data. The following tasks will all be core activities:

• Conduct and analyse focus group interviews with Danish upper secondary students
• Conduct and analyse teacher interviews with Danish upper secondary teachers and institutional leaders
• In collaboration with consortium partners, gather quantitative survey data from Danish upper secondary students
• Compare cross-national data and analyse complete datasets in collaboration with consortium partners
• Gather and perform preliminary policy analysis of digital and AI literacies in Danish upper secondary school policies in relation to other Nordic-Baltic systems
• Participate in core project activities, including official meetings, workshop and online group meetings
• Facilitate communication and dissemination of project results through the project’s communication channels
• Contribute to online project reports and disseminate project results through peer reviewed publication activities

The position may include teaching responsibilities in relevant study programmes within the department, depending on the applicant’s expertise and the department’s teaching needs.

Your competencies

The position involves solid research experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods within the humanities or social sciences, preferably in fields such as education, media studies, communication, or related areas. You need to be able to plan, conduct, transcribe, and systematically code interviews and focus groups with upper secondary students, teachers, and school leaders, and to translate these materials into coherent, theoretically informed analyses.

You are comfortable working with survey data and preferably have experience contributing to the design and implementation of questionnaires, handling larger datasets, and taking part in comparative analyses across countries. It will be an advantage if you have worked with policy analysis, for example within education, digital literacy, or artificial intelligence, and feel able to identify, interpret, and situate Danish policy documents within a broader Nordic‑Baltic context.

Since the project is embedded in an international research consortium, you must thrive in collaborative settings, be able to coordinate and align your work with partners in other countries and contribute actively to shared analytical frameworks and publications. Strong written and oral communication skills in English are essential, and you must have sufficient Danish language skills to conduct interviews, communicate with schools, and work with Danish policy documents. Skills in Swedish and Norwegian are an advantage. Finally, you are expected to be capable of writing high‑quality academic texts, contributing to online reports, and engaging in broader dissemination activities aimed at both academic and non‑academic audiences.

Qualification requirements

Appointmentaspostdoc requires academic qualifications at PhD level.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Further information

Read more about our recruitment process here

The appointment process at Aalborg University involves a shortlisting process

You can read more about the shortlisting and appointment process here.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace

Salary and terms of employment

The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (only in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (only in Danish).

There is a mutual probationary period of 3 months for the position.

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world

Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.